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Porridge around the world

Hooray! It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for: World Porridge Day! That’s right, a whole day dedicated for enthusiasts around the world to celebrate that magical dish that is porridge. This special day was born out a little village called Carrbridge in the Scottish Highlands. They’re so crazy about oats that they even hold an annual World Porridge Making Championship, now that’s our idea of a tOATally awesome day out!

10 / 10 / 2015

To give this special day the recognition it deserves, we’re going to take a look at what other types of porridges you can find out there. Come join us as we travel the globe to see what else is on offer. Turns out there is much more to porridge than the humble oat and splash of milk!

Grits

Our porridge fuelled journey around the world starts in the good old US of A! Americans make a tasty savoury porridge called grits using ground maize (corn to us Brits). Grits dates all the way back to the Native Americans who first populated the country. Considered a fairly traditional dish, grits is now making its way to our shores, appearing on the menus of a number trendy restaurants.

If you fancy mixing up your morning and trying out corn porridge for your next breakfast, take a look at this super simple recipe below:

Start by bringing a litre of water to the boil in a pan and the pour in your grits or cornmeal. Make sure that you stir the grits constantly so that they don’t catch on the pan and to avoid pesky lumps. Once the grits are thick, add in the butter and cheese (reserving a little for serving). Once these are blended into the grits add salt and pepper to taste.

Kasha

Now we travel to Eastern Europe to find out about one of the oldest dishes from this region. Kasha is a classic porridge enjoyed in Eastern European countries like Russia and Poland. This delicacy is made with buckwheat boiled in water or milk, so simple yet so tasty! Just like our very own MOMA porridge, Kasha is also gluten free! If you fancy trying this nutritious savoury staple, check out the recipe below:

What you need:

50g toasted buckwheat
75ml milk or other non-dairy milk
30ml water

How to do it:

Throw everything into a medium sized saucepan and bring to boil. Put on the lid and turn the heat down to low. Leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the buckwheat has absorbed most of the liquid. Serve with your choice of mixed berries and a drizzle of honey.

Congee

Our final stop on the MOMA world porridge tour takes us to Asia. Congee is a savoury porridge made with rice that’s enjoyed in a variety of countries such as China, Japan, Korea and Thailand. This dish can enjoyed as a main meal or side with the additional of other ingredients. Denmark’s iconic Porridge Cafe; GRØD, serve this up on their lunch menu, mixing it up with the addition of ingredients such as chicken or mushrooms. If you’re looking for a gateway Congee recipe, we’ve included a simple recipe below:

What you need:

1 cup of jasmine rice
2 litres of water
Chicken or vegetable stock

How to do it:

First add the stock to the water in a pan and bring it to the boil. Then add washed rice to the pot and turn the heat down to low. Simmer the congee for 2-3 hours (the longer you boil it, the more the rice starts to break down and fall apart). Once the congee is cooked, add salt and pepper to taste then serve.

What’s your favourite way to enjoy porridge? Celebrate World porridge Day with us and share your recipes on Twitter at @Moma.